skinning beaver

[trappnman]

a true story- when one of my grandsons was little, he and mom were visiting- and all of a sudden he came running around the house crying- "mama, mama- grandpas got a naked beaver in the back yard!"

anyhoo- was skinning out a couple of beaver today- and thoughht of how much, for ME, that hanging them up part way through made it so easy-

I open them like normal- always keep wanting to try that carpet knife as beav mentions, bet that works slick- then skin out legs and down to where you usually flip them- then I hang by tail, and the rest just falls off.

and no blood like it seems I get when doing all on table-

anyone else skin like this?

also- up til tihs year, have always cut out castors and sacs in one bunch, then dry and chop up for lure. but with price of castor, took out last years frozen ones, and this year, and sold the castor

At first was apprehensive on cutting out just castors, but am amazed at how easy it is to skin them out, leaving everything else.

live and learn- thanks musher

[jim]

Jan 24, 2012 17:37:48 GMT -6 trappnman said:

a true story- when one of my grandsons was little, he and mom were visiting- and all of a sudden he came running around the house crying- "mama, mama- grandpas got a naked beaver in the back yard!"

anyhoo- was skinning out a couple of beaver today- and thoughht of how much, for ME, that hanging them up part way through made it so easy-

I open them like normal- always keep wanting to try that carpet knife as beav mentions, bet that works slick- then skin out legs and down to where you usually flip them- then I hang by tail, and the rest just falls off.

and no blood like it seems I get when doing all on table-

anyone else skin like this?

also- up til tihs year, have always cut out castors and sacs in one bunch, then dry and chop up for lure. but with price of castor, took out last years frozen ones, and this year, and sold the castor

At first was apprehensive on cutting out just castors, but am amazed at how easy it is to skin them out, leaving everything else.

live and learn- thanks musher

Unlike coyotes you can let them lay a couple days to lessen the blood. I have hung a couple by the tail because I cased skun them to have them tanned for wall hangers. I sure don't see any advanage of doing them that way. Hanging a sixty pounder by the tail you need a winch to pull them up. I can't see where a trough would be any help either, you would be picking them up to rotate them making a lot more work.

Line them up on a bench with the head away from you lop all the feet them rip them to head to tail with a hook blade knife do the left side (I am a righty) freeing from the front and back legs, rotate 180° do other side pull on hide while cutting to get the tough part on the hips up the back to the head hide starts to hang off the bench helping skin down and off the head. Jim

[trappnman]

on the table, it always seems like I'm working with a sliding beaver- as the pelt hangs over the table, the weight keeps pulling the beaver around- I eliminate that by hanging. by hanging the pelt hanging down is an asset.

My gambril swings to the table- its take little effort, to pull and lift in one motion, bringing him to right height and hooking off

[musher]

You're welcome - what are buds for?

Do you clean skin? I'm no beaver skinner as I have a partner that is an artist. He clean skins. The pelt goes from carcass to board with zero or minimal fleshing. He's also quite quick. 20/25 minutes or so.

One thing he does, besides have a razor sharp knife that you hear cut, is attach a 2x4 to the table edge. He then pulls the pelt over it as he cuts. This helps the beaver keep put.

I have a buddy that rough skins but he does them cased. The pelt comes off like a football. He then scrapes them on his beam.

[thebeav2]

I rough skin on the table.
I have a 2x4 fastened to the edge of the table. The skin hangs over the edge and the weight of the skin keeps the beaver In place. skin till you reach the spine then with one spin of the beaver start the other side.
10 min tops from the time I toss the beaver on the table till the hide hits the floor. But on a speed run It's about 5 min

Fleshing about another 10 to 12 minutes.

A set of loppers a box cutter type knife and a GOOD beaver knife will cut down on your time. I use a Dexter /Russel knife with a 10 inch blade.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Your slowing up old buddy.

Fleshed 14 beaver the other day and was done and cleaned up in 1.5 hours.

2 small ones 2 55 inchers and the 10 60 inches +

[thebeav2]

Size 44 shirt and a size 4 hat Equals a beaver trapper

[Stef]

size 4 hat

My oldest son is size 8 hat and he cannot skin a squirrel...LoL
But he's smart

[Stef]

BTW... we cannot find any baseball hat in the stores around here that size (8).
We only found choices of what he wants on the internet.

[trappnman]

I can see how having a board to hold the beaver would be a big help-

but I really like hanging them at the point where you normally would flip them over- esp on big beaver, having all the pelt weight hanging down is such a bonus, and it takes no time to hang them- I pull down the gambril, slide a loop over tail and thats it. Time seems to be about the same- 5-10 minutes is average. Rough skinned.

Can I asked beav, if you have ever tried to hang them? Buzzard told me that trick, and I've never gone back.

I've cleaned skinned a few, and it takes me far longer than it should, and I have no desire to "get good at it"

[thorsmightyhammer]

When I'm skinning 20 to 25 a day, that would be an extra 800 to a 1000 pounds I'd have to lift.

I've seen the guys at the furbuyer skin a 100 plus a day. that'd be a couple ton.

No thanks.

[trappnman]

actaully, its very little lifting at all-

beaver is on the bench, swing gambril over, slip loop over tail- now, pick up gambril and extend, take all slack out of rope, and push beaver off table- and its pretty much hung.

all I can say, is if someone hasn't tried it, give it a try.

[thorsmightyhammer]

doesnt matter how high it has to be lifted what matters is you will have to lift it agian.

By the time a guy puts the loop over tail, pick up gambril, extend, take all slack out of rope and push beaver off the table, I'll be pretty much done.

[blackhammer]

I open them and then hang them.But I don't really have it to handy to lift and hang and those suckers are clumsy and heavy to deal with.If I was a numbers beaver guy and not a procrastinator I would figure out something different.loo

[trappnman]

By the time a guy puts the loop over tail, pick up gambril, extend, take all slack out of rope and push beaver off the table, I'll be pretty much done.


stud dog math................

the TIME is about 5 seconds- I don't even have to move my feet- all my coon are done the same- open them up, swing gambril to table, swing up- time agian, about 5 secs and to me, that TIME is more than made up from there on. no pulling on the pelt and no blood all over the table, is worth the TIME

so if you don't want to try it, or have tied it and don't like it- thats fine, but lets not make time and effort a factor, because, at least how I do it, the "extra" time is meaningless in reality.

each to their own, I never hung a beaver until was told to try it- I did- and love it!

[thebeav2]

No such thing as 5 seconds to do anything. LOL

Are you lopping off the legs and making your opening cut before hanging?
Or are you wringing the legs at the joints and twisting off the legs?


When hanging anything you have to either turn It or walk around it to do the skinning. On the table you open the beaver from nose to tail with one cut. As soon as that his done your making about 3 or 4 long cuts on the beaver this gets you to the legs. A deft twist of the legs and a cut or two and you have them popped out. Now your about to the center of the spine. One 180 turn of the beaver. NO lifting just a spin and your starting the other side.

By now the hide Is all hanging over the edge of the table and keeping weight on the hide to help In It's removal.

Change knives when doing the head nothing worse then dulling a good sharp beaver knife on the head.
Don't worry about leaving the nose and lips on your beaver hide when skinning. Just cut close and leave them behind on the carcass. They should be trimmed off the hide to improve drying time.

The biggest problem I see with hanging Is If done so the top the the beaver Is at eye level when you start by time you get down to the head end your going to be down on your knees to finish the job and that Is going to play hell on your back and slow you down If you have many beaver to skin.

I have never hung a beaver to skin It and I just can't see any benefit In doing so.

Gappster said:
beaver is on the bench, swing gambril over, slip loop over tail- now, pick up gambril and extend, take all slack out of rope, and push beaver off table- and its pretty much hung.

It seems like If the beaver Is still laying on the table and It's pushed off to be hung then It's tail Is hanging about 36" off the ground That seems a bit low to me. Unless your table Is 5' tall then It's still to low. So you must be cranking up the beaver until It's at eye level. I guess I must be missing something here.

I guess this whole issue Is a mote point If your only skinning 2 or 3 beaver a week or a year. When there are numbers to deal with each day then every second counts In how long your going to be In the fur shed.

But If you are comfortable with something then by all means do It that way.

[trappnman]

no, its another debate about being against something, without ever trying it.

and thats cool- but its real hard to argue the merits, without doing it.................

but thats the way of the world I guess................ theory vs doing

and I find it odd that every sec counts, yet all have the time to be here everyday.

hey, I can't take time to pee while trapping- just stuff some grass down my pants- after all, I save 1.347 minutes by peeing on the fly.............

and about that time- you say you skin a beaver in 5-10 minutes

hey guess what- ME TOO!

my table is set up so I have to DO NO BENDING in my back to skin. Nothing worse, than having to bend over, even ever so slightly to do any time consuming task.

PS- I read about how nice it is to crack open a beer, and skin in a warm shed- Good God Man! not only does it take time away from the non stop skinning, it also increases peeing time.

this "saving" a few seconds here and there, has gotten far past the silly point.

there isn't a manjack one of us, that doesn't dick around in the shed wasting a minute here, a minute there- heck, I like to stop now and then and smoke a ciggie in front of the heater... guess I could tape it to my lips, and save another minute- but, lets get real-

if you hung 10 beaver a day, it would add far less than 5 minutes to the total skinning time- and if that 5 minutes REALLY makes or breaks you- and I'll argue that any time lost, is saved once done-

by the time you grab a beaver, and flip it over- ITS HUNG

thats just a fact- extra time is meaningless cause its pretty much a WASH.

again- for those that might want to try an easier way of skinning out over the tail and back, with the pelt helping you each step of the way- try, at the point you would flip it over- hang it up.

Thanks Buzzard for sharing your tip with me!

[trappnman]

When hanging anything you have to either turn It or walk around it to do the skinning

NO

are you even reading the posts?

THE BELLY AND SIDES ARE DONE. LET ME REPEAT THAT- THE BELLY AND SIDES ARE DONE

ALL YOU ARE DOING, IS INSTEAD OF FLIPPING OVER THE BEAVER TO DO THE BACK AND TOP OF HEAD, YOU HANG THE BEAVER BY THE TAIL TO DO THE BACK AND BACK OF HEAD

THEREFORE, NO TURNING OR WALKNG AROUND IS NEEDED- YOU ARE ONLY SKINNING 1/3 OR SO ON THE BACK OF THE BEAVER WHEN HANGING THEM UP.

cut the cartiledge on the back of tail, and the pelt, by its own weight, aids in skinning the rest, and no pulling etc is needed.

not saying its best for everyone, but certianly is quicker and less messy and easier for ME

but I do think one should try it, before denying it as slower and more effort....................

[thebeav2]

You have yet to answer my questions.

1- do you lop off the legs before hanging?

2- Or do you ring at the joint and twist them off before hanging?


The only time I lift the beaver Is to place it on the table and to throw It on the floor.

I put up several 100 beaver each season I have a system that works to perfection. I see no reason to change.

[trappnman]

lop off before putting on table-

no reason to change- now thats an answer I can't quibble with- am like that myself on a few thngs